Perfection
by xXcrimson.moonlightXx
Summary: They were nearly opposites. He was utter perfection in the eyes of most women. She was always alone and far from perfect. The handsome bachelor and the daughter of a criminal mastermind never imagined they'd be getting involved in an arranged marriage.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Teen Titans is by no means mine. Not even Batman is mine. I mean, if they were, would I really be hanging around writing fanfiction then?

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**Perfection**

_Chapter 1: Acquaint_

Richard Grayson sometimes liked to believe that like Bruce Wayne, he was close to perfection. He was handsome, wealthy, athletic, and talented. It seemed that even Lady Luck herself was in love with the man. The worst thing that'd ever happened in his life had been the death of his beloved parents, but in return, he was adopted by a wealthy Mr. Wayne, and he soon grew to accept the man as if he were his father. Of course, though Bruce did care for his son, he did not spoil him and was stern in raising the boy to be a responsible, respectable man.

Of course, the compliments served to raise Richard's confidence trough the roof, and this served to make him arrogant, as well a bit cocky. For as long as he could remember, Richard got everything he wanted. The category included women. Most females accepted him as soon as he indicated an interest in them. Of course, there was always a handful that did not welcome his advances, though with a little coaxing, sweet words, and romantic gestures, they were putty in his sturdy arms. He often took advantage of this. The longest relationship he could remember having had been with a beautiful redhead with emerald green eyes named Kori Anders. They'd started out as close friends and eventually began dating. At one point, he'd actually entertained himself with the prospect of settling down— something he now looked back upon and laughed at—but their relationship had taken an abrupt turn. They soon broke up, though on good terms. The media-dubbed "perfect couple" was no more.

He hadn't broken up with Kori due to an arranged marriage he'd been informed of. His feelings for her had simply lost its previous intensity. He was far too hot-headed and stubborn to break-up with someone he loved over a silly arranged marriage. Of course, normal arranged marriages were for family connections and peace treaties, not protection of a city from a near-maniacal criminal with enough money to hide evidence of his horrible crimes. He'd gone home nearly two months ago and was slightly surprised when Bruce requested his presence in the living-room to speak to him about a matter of the upmost importance. As he entered the room, there were no greetings. The older man simply handed a picture over to him. Curious, Richard peered at the picture, seeing a girl near the age of fourteen with a scowl evident on her pale face. He took note that she had the most unusual features. Her shoulder length hair was a deep violet, and her amethyst eyes revealed knowledge and maturity that did not suit her young age. Unsure why he'd been given the picture, he voiced his confusion.

"Bruce, what's the meaning of this?"

"I'm sure you've heard of Trigon before?" Richard nodded, prompting his guardian to continue. "He's recently set his eyes upon Gotham, and I had a meeting with him yesterday to discuss some sort of peace treaty." There was a grave pause. "In return for the protection of the city, he wants you to marry his daughter." The billionaire gestured to the photo.

Richard did not conceal his shock as he protested, "You couldn't possibly expect me to marry a fourteen year old whom I barely know!"

"She's twenty-one. Only one year younger then you. That picture was taken years ago, and there were no recent photographs of her."

"I still don't know her!"

"You'll be meeting her soon."

"I can't marry her!"

"I'm not making you."

"I said—wait, I'm not being forced?" Bruce gave a simple nod. The desirable young man raised an eyebrow as he questioned, "My marriage to her would save this city from an otherwise imminent destruction, yet you're giving me a choice?"

"I can't force you into a marriage, Richard. Even if I insisted upon it, you'd still have the ability to leave. No one can force you do say 'I do.'"

Though reluctant, he murmured, "I'll meet her." There was a brief period of silence before Richard inquired, "What do you plan to do about Trigon's plans though? You're not usually one to sit aside and watch a madman destroy cities full of innocent people."

A grim smile flickered over the older man's tired features as he murmured, "I'll possibly have to convince his daughter to betray her father, though this is assuming she takes part in her father's illegal activities in the first place."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then we'll see what she can do to help us." The discussion quickly ended afterward.

Now a short two months later, he was sitting in a luxurious armchair, tense at the presence of the dark-haired woman before him. Much to his enjoyment, she was a beauty. A delicate, heart-shaped face was framed with long tresses of a familiar deep violet and amethyst eyes that'd seen too much of the world at too young of an age met his striking blue eyes. She was petite and clad in a knee-length black dress that gently hugged her voluptuous figure. Her skin was pale, though blemish free from what he could see. Her long legs were crossed over one another as her small hands held a cup of herbal tea that Alfred had served to her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Grayson," she greeted formally in a monotonous voice. It seemed as if she were one of the handfuls of women who did not swoon at his presence.

"I believe the pleasure is all mine, Miss Roth, and please, feel free to call me Richard, "he replied charmingly.

"I'd prefer to address you formally, though I extend my gratitude at your offer." She never missed a beat.

"Very well. And I believe we are here today to discuss a proposed arranged marriage?"

"Correct."

"Now, Miss Roth, while I can see the many benefits of the marriage, I'd first like to hear your thoughts of the proposal."

"To be blunt, I believe the marriage is pointless." Blunt she was.

In that moment, Richard Grayson was left speechless.

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A/N: So, lately my love for the RobinXRaven pairing has been revived. I've been reading fanfiction revolving on this pairing non-stop, and a few days ago, I came up with a little idea of a plot line. Before I knew it, I was writing up the first chapter. Of course, I haven't seen Teen Titans in years, so my memory of how they act is a bit fuzzy and I was writing their personalities based on what I've seen in some of the best TT fanfiction I've ever seen. In addition, I haven't seen Batman in even longer, so once again, my memory on his typical behaviors is rather fuzzy. I apologize if they seem out of character. I plan to do some research on how they act as soon as possible, but for no, I'm rather preoccupied with schoolwork. Constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I hope readers find this fic enjoyable! (And any advice in the form of reviews are also welcome! Please tell me if the characters are...well...out of character!)


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2- Deal or No Deal_

There were times when Rachel Roth cursed her very existence. She wouldn't necessarily say she hated herself, but she was very close to it. After all, her parents weren't necessarily what she'd call wonderful. Her father was a criminal and her mother disappeared from her life when she barely reached the tender age of three. Afterward, she met with her mother once, before all connections were severed.

She'd been born in a peaceful town named Azarath. Of course, she never understood why her mother kept her far away from the other children she envied for their freedom. She'd never felt any significant experiences of joy, for her mother was not very affectionate towards her. Hugs were rare, and kisses were scarce. As she grew from a baby to a toddler, a large, rather intimidating man entered her life. He'd had startling white hair despite his young age, and his skin was a faded red, as if there was a permanent flush upon his skin. Her fading memories of childhood had consisted of the said man entering the location she'd thought of as 'home,' demanding custody of her. She was quickly handed over.

She'd never been truly sure of whom the man was until she was much older, but she'd called him father since his role in her life matched the label. As soon as she mastered her coordination, she received training. Nights of exhaustion and mind-numbing pain had become a daily part of her life as she aged. She soon learned hundreds methods on how to murder someone, mastered several martial arts, and could easily handle weapons. Of course, she also excelled academically. She'd been trained to be a prodigy. There was a constant emptiness in her heart, but it was easily ignored. She nearly treasured the few words of praise she got from her father, for they were the only kind words she'd ever heard directed to her, and humans could only be starved of kindness for a very limited amount of time. By age thirteen, she'd killed a few times. She'd gotten her hands dirty, yet she never really understood the value of a human life…the seriousness of the actions she'd done on command.

Her life came to a decline when she reached age fourteen. A mysterious woman who had a startling resemblance to the young girl made a visit, and in that one little meeting, her life was modified. Her innocence was shattered. That woman—Arella—was her mother. The man who'd raised her—Trigon—was her biological father. And he was evil incarnated. He was a wealthy man who had too much money, too much time, and too much of an interest in the darker side of life. He'd been the mastermind behind some of the worst crimes ever committed, and he controlled countless rings of criminals, yet there was never enough evidence to convict him of crimes that he'd undoubtedly been responsible for. He destroyed harmless towns and murdered innocent people for his own sick pleasure. And what of her? She'd been a condition in a broken oath. She was an heiress to the horrible crime rings. She, herself, had committed atrocious crimes and had not known the value of life until Arella had explained it to her. She became nothing more than an empty shell of her former incomplete self.

Trigon wanted an heir to his near-legendary title as a criminal. He sought out Arella, promising the safety of Azarath if he received his heir. He'd gotten an heiress named Rachel, and Azarath was in ruins the day after he'd taken custody of her. He'd preferred a boy, but much to his delight, the girl matured surprisingly quickly.

When she truly understood the burden she'd been unknowingly adding weight upon, some part of her shattered. Her innocence was torn down, and she was left with the aftermath of destruction she'd caused in the midst of her desperation to be accepted and cared for. That night, she cried. She cried until her tear ducts were dry and her throat was sore, and she'd fallen into a nightmarish sleep, uttering one phrase from her lips.

"I'm sorry."

She was soon excluded from Trigon's plots and lived life as a fairly normal teenage girl. Evidently, she'd been drained of her emotions, but Trigon paid little attention to it. In his opinion, she was better off without troublesome emotions anyways. She'd attended public school for approximately one year and had one friend. She'd lost him in the blink of an eye. And as she reached the not-so-sweet age of sixteen, she was completely isolated. Her only friends were shadows, books, and the darkness she saw when she closed her eyes to meditate. She'd picked up meditation as a pastime in her event-less life. She'd had no human friends. She'd had no hope.

As she reached age twenty-one, she'd received startling news that she was to join in marriage with a man named Richard Grayson. There was no choice on her part. Marry out of the household, or be thrust into the adult world, never to experience the luxuries she'd grown accustomed to ever again. She'd be protecting Gotham until her father deemed it desirable to destroy the city. She'd be marrying a much wanted bachelor. Neither appealed to the young woman. There was little that appealed to her aside from her father's downfall, but the event was unlikely to happen any time soon, much to her bitter disappointment. One night, as she brooded over her lack of choices, she'd gained one small glimmer of hope. She took this hope and began to use it as a basis for her plot. A few days later, she'd slipped into a dreamless sleep with a small, dark smile upon her lips. The sight was quite unusual for the woman who'd been emptied of emotions.

Two months passed and she was to meet her possible fiancée. As she took small sips of herbal tea while perched in a comfortable armchair, she noted that she would've found Richard Grayson very handsome if she'd had any interest in men. He had silky black tresses that hung over striking blue eyes that seemed to pierce into her very soul, and his body was well-toned. He would've been ideal. He would've been perfection. But her heart froze over long ago. Her life was not a fairytale where the prince would swoop in gallantly to save the damsel in distress.

As her amethyst orbs met his blue ones, she could already tell how he felt about the arranged marriage. He was reluctant to give up his beloved life as a bachelor, and she, herself, did not enjoy the prospect of being a pawn in her father's schemes. However, if her plan was successful, then she would not be a pawn. He would have led himself into his own ruin.

She did not miss the surprise that'd flickered in Richard's eyes as she told him her opinion of the marriage. He'd recovered relatively quickly as he continued the conversation.

"And why would you happen to find the marriage pointless?"

"The conditions of the marriage will not be kept. Do not illusion yourself with idea that my father keeps his words out of honor. The second he finds Gotham a nuisance in his plots, he will not hesitate to destroy the area and terrorize its people, therefore this marriage is unnecessary."

He raised an eyebrow at her unexpectedly informative words, and for a moment, he wondered how supportive she was of her father's actions. "I take it that you don't support your father's actions?"

"Oh precisely. I would totally and completely support a man whom I think of as dishonorable." Sarcasm was laced in her words.

"I do apologize for my ignorance." He took note of the fact that within the fifteen minutes he'd known her, he'd only heard her use two tones: monotone and sarcastic.

"You're forgiven. And may I inquire as to your opinions of this marriage?" She never missed a beat.

"Currently, I'm unsure as to what my decision will be. Please understand that while I understand the many pros, I am also reluctant to leave life as a bachelor to marry a woman I hardly know anything about."

"Your reasoning is understandable, however, may I offer a deal that'll be rather beneficial to the both of us?"

"Please go on."

"I have little doubt in my mind that your main objective in this marriage is to convince me to plot against my father, so that his downfall may be brought about. I welcome the end of his reign as a wanted criminal, therefore convincing will not have to be done. My offer is that perhaps we may take up the guise of an engaged couple. While we put up an act for my father, we will secretly plot his demise, and I, of course, will be responsible for gathering information that he keeps under wraps. When his downfall has been achieved, we shall drop the act and move on with our lives as we please. You will be able to return to life as a bachelor, and I have my own plans." It was the most she'd said in the quickly passing time that'd she'd first laid her eyes upon him.

"Quite the deal, Miss Roth. I'm afraid that I will have to think over your offer before I decide to accept or reject the deal."

"Of course, Mr. Grayson. A wise decision."

"And I believe your father also requested that you stay at Wayne manner?" He'd received news that'd she'd be staying at Wayne manor, seeing as her father had requested it of Bruce. That she was no longer welcome home were words left unspoken.

"Ah, yes. My father also informed me that my living arrangement would be made here. I beg your pardon for my intruding upon your dwelling."

"Your presence here is no intrusion at all! You are welcome to stay here for however long you please."

"I extend my profound gratitude at your hospitability, Mr. Grayson."

The two exchanged a nod of a silent agreement, for there was no need for hostility towards one another. They understood that neither wanted to be forced into a marriage, and both were on the same side when the topic of Trigon's actions were being spoken about. Though the pair hardly knew about one another, there was a bit of trust exchanged, for there'd been honesty and sincerity in the eyes of the recently-acquainted duo.

Silence hung in the air, though it was broken by the soft sound of knuckles tapping against polished wood, as Alfred announced his presence. Richard glanced towards the closed toward and permitted entrance.

"You may enter, Alfred."

The trusted elderly butler bowed slightly out of courtesy as he proclaimed, "Dinner will be ready in approximately one hour, Master Grayson. Will Miss Roth be joining us?"

"Yes. Miss Roth will also be staying at the manor for an undetermined period of time."

"Master Wayne has already informed me of her staying, and I have already prepared a room."

Richard nodded in appreciation and redirected his attention to Rachel. "Miss Roth, would you like to be led to your room now?"

"That would be acceptable."

To Alfred, he inquired, "Has Miss Roth's luggage been placed inside her room?"

"It has."

"Then please lead the way. I'm afraid I will have to make a temporary departure to speak with Bruce. My sincerest apologies, Miss Roth."

"An apology is not necessary, Mr. Grayson. I understand that you also have other duties to attend to."

"I thank you for your comprehension."

With a nod, Richard left the room in search of his father figure.

In a polite and clipped tone, Rachel requested, "Please lead me to the room at which I will be staying at."

"Of course, Miss Roth," Alfred responded.

The violet haired young woman left her seat, following the trusted butler to her room. Just as she was about to enter her room, Alfred commented upon the now empty cup that she still held in her hands.

"Miss Roth, would you like another cup of herbal tea?"

"That will not be necessary." She gingerly handed the porcelain cup to the man. She murmured a single word of gratitude at his helpfulness before entering her room.

She closed the door behind her, and within seconds, her fingers found the light switch. With a flick of her forefinger, the lights were on and here amethyst eyes scanned over the new dwelling. She was pleased to find that her luggage had been neatly placed near a closet. To her pleasure, the large room was fitted with dark colored furniture. She made her way to a closed door, which she discovered had led to a grand lavatory. Feeling rather content with what her living arrangements would be, she made her way to her luggage, carefully moving the folded clothing from her suitcases to the compartments of beautifully crafted dresser. In a short amount of time, her belongings were scattered throughout the room, carefully arranged in or on top of the proper furniture. Satisfied that her task was done, she made herself comfortable in the navy blue armchair.

Her mind veered back to topics she deemed important. If she played her cards right, then her carefully planned scheme would be successful. At this thought, another barely observable smile flickered across her lips before her features returned to their unfeeling appearance.

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A/N: Well, I'm happy to say that I've finally finished chapter two. Luckily, I had started a draft of this chapter. It's a bit boring, but I assure you that I'm leading up to the main conflict of the story, but first I have to get started on a bit of character development. I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes beforehand. Chapter three will come as soon as possible, but it most likely won't be completed as quickly as chapter two, since I don't have anymore drafts of future chapters.

So with this latest chapter, I was trying to give a bit of insight on how Raven's past was like. To clear up any possible confusion, I backtracked a bit in the beginning, however any the middle of the chapter, we're caught up to the present. Also, I wanted to provide a bit of insight as to why I made her past as it is and the behaviors of our current birds.

For Raven's past, I wanted to show the darker side of her character as a child. Since she was born due to a pact between a reluctant Arella and Trigon, I decided that Arella wouldn't be very kind and loving to a child whom she had with a man she greatly dislikes. She wouldn't be abusive, though. She'd care for the child, but she wouldn't necessarily shower her with affection. Therefore, Raven had never really experienced any sort of motherly affection. Of course, Trigon wouldn't stay away for long, so I decided that he'd enter her life while she was still young and innocent.

He takes custody and has her trained to be a good criminal where she can fight and has brains, and every once in a while he praises her. I understand that training doesn't necessarily suit her, but I thought it'd be relevant since Trigon would want to start shaping his daughter into the perfect heiress as soon as possible, therefore she learned ways to kill and learned fighting, but to put her back into character, I made it so that at her current age, she's forgotten most of her training due to lack of use as she started pursuing her academics more. I'll try to expand upon this point in future chapters, but I hope I didn't make her childhood too overbearing. I had stated that she was desperate for praise because in her bleak, loveless life, it'd only be natural of her to want more of a good thing. That's also why she's killed in the past.

Of course, Raven is by no means a criminal, so I decided that once she reached a proper age, her mother would make a brief reappearance to make her realize the reality behind her actions. Her mother couldn't really explain the concepts of death to a toddler, so when Raven reached her teenage years where she was more understanding and mature, she realized the real meaning behind taking a human life. And of course, Trigon wouldn't explain why killing is bad. After all, he wants her to be he heiress to his crime rings. So after she realized what the real meaning behind killing was, Raven stopped any practicing any of the physical training she'd been taught. This made Trigon aware that she'd developed somewhat of a sense of justice and thus he stopped including her in his plans out of fear that'd she find enough evidence to convict him, and that's where I tie her to the Raven from Teen Titans.

The Raven from the alternate universe is so adamant upon trying to plot against her father because she feels that by sending him to jail, it'd be repentance for what she'd done in the past, much like how the Titan Raven wanted to fight crime in hopes of somehow making up for her destined involvement in the end of the world. And of course, our Titan Raven is not prone to showing emotions, which is sort of why I drained this AU Raven of various emotions through her revelation of the true burden of her crimes. I also don't necessarily see any characters as being innocent (except for perhaps Starfire, though she's more naive than innocent), which is my reason for stating that Raven's innocence was shattered. It's well.....sort of hard to explain, but if anyone really wants me to explain, then tell me and I'll try to pull together a proper explanation. (Of course, opinions on how I made Raven's past would be appreciated).

I think that Raven's past is the hardest to write, because there's so little known about her past, yet her past seems to full of details and events that tie into her parents.

As a side note, I'd made Trigon a wealthy man that was the mastermind of crimes, because I thought the role would suit him. I mean, a giant red demon does not fit in a story where the characters are plain humans.

Lastly, I had Raven and Robin interact as they did, because I thought that upon first meetings, both would be rather cordial and formal towards one another. In my eyes, Raven is also a rater blunt and straightforward character, so that's why she was so frank about her opinion on the marriage.

I apologize if any of the characters are out of character. I'm still trying to find time to re-watch Teen Titans and perhaps watch some Batman series, so until then, I'm mainly getting my information from Wikipedia. It's not necessarily the best source around, but it is fairly reliable. As always, criticism is welcomed.

And of course, I must express my deep gratitude to my readers. This is the first time I've ever gotten so many reviews!:

**Shingie:** Thank you very much for the praise! And I understand that the aranged marriage is sort of boring, so I'll try my very best to add unexpected twits that'll make the story seem more original and interesting. I'm also aware that I tend to be a little repetitive, so lately I've been trying my best not repeat things that I've already stated.

**Zarola: **Thank you! And well, I wanted to add tidbits of Raven and Robin's past now, because later on, I don't plan on stopping too often to explain things, so to avoid future confusion, I had the characters reminisce a bit about their pasts so readers will have the information necessary for them to understand future chapters. Alas, this chapter wasn't ended with a cliffhanger, because I don't think a cliffhanger would be appropriate in the last scene. Of course, I'll try my very best to continue to pleas readers, though I'm a bit afraid that I've lost the interest of some readers with the way I made Raven's past. I tried to make any aspects of her character too extreme, but there were some details that just naturally fit in while I was writing, so I'll hope that those details are acceptable.

**ninjacat5, morphious444, yankeesgeek2.0, and AtlantaGeorgia:** Thank you! The next update will be posted as soon as possible.


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